When Irish Eyes are Glaring
by Kayzillaz
Summary: When the Tallest are fed up with Zim's inability to conquer, they call on a mysterious Irish Irken from his past. Is Zim up for the challenge? Can he defeat this legendary warrior? Rated T for thoughts of suicide and possible cursing.
1. The Irish Irken

_Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim…Cries There, I said it! HOWEVER! I do own Kira, The Irish Irken Invader and her SIR unit Sera.This is also my first Zim fic, inspired by Doomed Project of Doomy Doom and Suchby FallenAngel331 and by To Find Yourself by Maiyuko-chan.Now OBEY MY FIST AND READ ON FILTHY WORM BABIES!_

The sound of starships rushing by echoed against the sides of the mother ship. The two Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire watched as their armada reassembled themselves after a victory over Meekrob. One of the other Irkens that were working the controls looked up from his work to the Tallest.

"Incoming transmission from Invader Kira," he said in a deep voice. The Purple-Eyed Tallest nodded to his henchman, who immediately brought the transmission up on the screen. The inside of Kira's ship was dark, so only her glowing red eyes, which were brighter then most Irkens', and some of her dark green skin was showing.

"You wanted to speak with me your majesties?" Kira asked in an Irish-lined voice, another uncommon feature. The Purple Tallest nodded and looked at his comrade, the Red-Eyed Tallest. They looked back at the invader onscreen.

"Yes…we need you to take care of a certain…problem," the Red Tallest said, grabbing his freezie from his chair and sipping on it.

"What kind of problem, my Tallest?" Kira asked, her teeth flashing into a smirk.

"You remember the Irken Zim? The one we banished on a journey to nowhere after he escaped from Food Courtia to the Great Assigning?" the Purple Tallest asked. Kira's grin disappeared and turned into a death glare.

"Yes…is he still alive?" she growled in rough tones that even surprised the Tallest. They had not realized she hated him so much. It only made her better for the job.

"Unfortunately, yes…he landed on a planet we didn't know existed…" the Purple Tallest remarked, causing Kira's teeth to clench even harder. "He still doesn't understand that he's been banished, and keeps sending us transmissions. However, this planet…'Earth' as he calls it, is still open for conquest. As I'm sure you understand, we don't trust Zim to carry out the invasion…your assignment is to dispose of him… permanently and begin conquest of planet Earth. You'll need to disguise yourself, as they haven't had much alien contact." Kira's teeth unclenched.

"I will not disappoint you, my tallest…Zim will be vanquished, and planet Earth shall be added to the Irken Empire!" The Irish Irken nodded to the Tallest. "Invader Kira, signing off." The transmission ended and the Tallest looked at each other.

"I think we made a good choice, don't you?" the Purple Tallest asked.

"Indeed we did…let's go get food," the Red Tallest remarked, tossing his empty freezie cup in the garbage. The two Tallest then exited the ship's main hull. Meanwhile, Invader Kira was speeding towards the Milky Way galaxy, heading for the pitifully banished Irken and the soon to be newest addition to the Irken Empire.

"GIR! STOP PLAYING WITH THE MICROWAVE!" Zim's voice shouted through the house.

"But Master, I make tacos!" Gir said happily, humming a song and shoving meat senselessly into the microwave.

"How many times need I tell you, neither you nor I need to eat? STOP MAKING FOOD!" Zim shouted angrily, stepping into the kitchen. The little robot looked up from his task.

"But moose needs food…and moose likes tacos!" Gir shouted back happily, shaking his rubber moose in front of Zim. He glared and snatched it from him, making Gir gasp. "Master, I neeeeed my moose! And moose needs his tacos!" Zim shook his head and held it where Gir couldn't reach it.

"No Gir, you need to learn…" Zim remarked, throwing the moose up high where only he could reach it. Gir's lip trembled and he began crying. Zim cringed and covered his ears. "Clean the microwave and you'll get your moose back! Just stop crying!" Zim snapped. Gir immediately stopped and lit up, running over to the microwave and began eating the meat inside. Zim snorted in annoyance. "Robots…" he muttered, walking into the living room. He places the contacts over his eyes and fixed the hair on his head. "I except you to be done when I get back." Gir responded with an odd noise as Zim closed the door behind him. He looked up to see the house across the street had been sold to a girl with red hair and green eyes. She wore a black shirt, blue jeans, a small green backpack and a shamrock around her neck. She also wore a black trench coat. He bared his sharp teeth. "More human earth filth…" he muttered angrily, turning and continuing down the street. The girl watched him walk with a short glare before going inside. A raven followed her inside. Zim continued to walk down the street, towards skool, coming up with new ways to destroy the human race. The bell rang just as he seated himself in his desk and Mrs. Bitters snaked her way into the classroom.

"Future children of our doomed society, we have a new student joining us today. Her name is Kira, coming from Europe," Mrs. Bitters said, as the new girl walked in. It had been the same girl he saw that morning. However, when Mrs. Bitters had said 'Kira' Zim's jaw dropped in horror.

"K-k-kira!" he shouted, standing on his desk and pointing at her. "You cannot be here! I AM ZIM! THIS IS MY PLANET!" He looked around at everyone staring at him. The girl called Kira eyed him strangely.

"He's crazy…just like Dib…" a kid in the back said. Dib, who was staring at Kira, snapped out of his daze.

"What? I didn't even say anything!" Dib snapped.

"Doesn't make you any less crazy!" the kid retorted. The entire class laughed at this, causing Dib to growl in anger. Zim had sat down, but his teeth were still bared and he was glaring at the new student, who said nothing and simply took her seat next to Dib, which was the only one open. She grabbed a notebook out of her backpack, which she kept on and immediately began to draw, pretending to take notes. Dib eyed the girl next to her strangely. Zim, somehow, knew this girl, but she certainly didn't look or act like and alien…she looked normal. Dib looked outside, watching a raven preen its feathers on a nearby branch. The raven's eyes were an unnatural red, which brought Dib to the conclusion that Kira was, indeed, and alien…either that, or Zim had gotten a new toy. At that moment, Zim started frantically waving his arms in the air.

"Mrs. Bitters, I have a MIGHTY NEED to use the bathroom!" he announced in angry tones, causing Mrs. Bitters to hiss in annoyance.

"Fine, go! And be quick about it," she hissed before continuing. Zim angrily stormed out of the room and down the hall. Dib watched him with suspicion before raising his hand.

"Mrs. Bitters? May I use the bathroom?" he asked innocently, causing Mrs. Bitters to cringe in anger once more. Dib quickly rushed out of the room before Mrs. Bitters could say anything. He walked towards the bathroom and slowly pushed open the door, as to not make any noise. Immediately, he heard Zim cursing to himself.

"Who does she think she is? Coming to MY planet? Taking MY glory? She will pay most dearly for this! The Tallest will have something to say…filthy no good troq!" Zim hissed to himself in the stall he was in. Dib's eyes widened. From all the Mysterious Mysteries shows he watched, and all the books he read on alien culture, he knew 'troq' was possibly the worst insult in the alien world. In their strange language, it literally meant 'nothing'.

"Zim?" Dib asked cautiously, causing an angry scream to echo in the bathroom as the door slammed open.

"Filthy Earth worm baby, what is it you want?" he snapped. His fists were clenched in rage.

"I…erm…heard you talking about that Kira girl…is she one of you?" Dib asked, eager to learn more about her. Taking out two aliens would give him such glory!

"Of course she is! How can you be so blind?" Zim snapped, his fists still clenched. Dib blinked behind his glasses.

"Erm…no offense Zim, but she MUCH less obvious then you…she doesn't have green skin…" Dib told him, causing Zim's eyes to narrow. "But…wait a minute…if she's one of you…THEN SHE'S HERE TO HELP YOU!" Dib snapped angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Zim.

"No she-"

"She's going to help you take over Earth and enslave the human race!" Dib accused, stepping forward. Zim growled in frustration.

"I can assure you, Dib, the last thing she wants to do is help Zim," Zim told him with a hiss. "Now, I suggest you do not mettle in these affairs, or you may find the Irken army here sooner then you think…"

"There's no way I'm letting you and her simply take over the world!" Dib snapped at Zim. The Irken rolled his eyes.

"You don't get it, do you, you filthy Earthling?" Zim said, pity lining his voice. Dib's teeth clenched. "I want her off this planet as much as you do…now if you'll excuse me, I have THINGS to do…" Zim started working towards the door.

"Zim!" Dib called, causing the alien to turn and look at him with a glare. He raised an eyebrow, inviting Dib to speak. "The last thing I want on Earth is another alien…and I don't know much about your kind…so just this once, I'm willing to help you…" Zim seemed very shocked by the human's offer.

"You…want to help?" he asked with obvious surprise. Dib nodded. "…Very…very well, Dib, I will accept your help…only because I know personally how tough that filthy troq can be…"

"You must really hate her to be calling her that…" Dib remarked, still astounded by his cursing.

"Indeed I do…so much that not even the entire Irken Empire could fit all my hatred…" Zim growled, baring his teeth again. Dib sighed and he extended his hand to shake Zim's.

"So there's no backstabbing here, let's shake on a truce…" Dib said. Zim raised an eyebrow and examined Dib's hand. "What?"  
"Just making sure you're not trying to turn me into bologna again…" Zim remarked, causing Dib to roll his eyes. They immediately shook, each recoiling slightly. "I will meet you outside at the end of skool…if we are to work together, she should discuss ideas…" Dib nodded, letting Zim leave. He frowned slightly and followed. This was going to be a very interesting experience.


	2. The Sad Tale of Zim

_Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim…Cries There, I said it! HOWEVER! I do own Kira, The Irish Irken Invader and her SIR unit Sera. This is my first Invader Zim fic, inspired by Doomed Project of Doomy Doom and Such by FallenAngel1331, To Find Yourself by Maiyuko-chan, and The Irken Rebellion: The Beginning by Forkslovespoons. Now OBEY MY FIST AND READ ON FILTHY WORM BABIES!_

At the end of the day, Zim walked outside to wait for Dib, only to meet up with Kira outside. His teeth were bared and it caused him to use every ounce of his strength to stop himself from attacking her.

"Well, well…look at you, shortie…looks like you grew a few centimeters," Kira told him menacingly in her Irish voice. Zim's eyes narrowed in anger.

"The Tallest won't be happy to hear that you're on MY planet…" Zim told her. Kira laughed at this.

"Your planet? That's rich…Zim, how can you not see it? The Tallest haven't answered you in months…you were sent on a 'secret mission' to nowhere. You're not an Irken, Zim…you've been banished!"

"Lies!" shouted Zim, his eyes widening in surprise. "That's never happened before in Irken history!" His voice was lined with doubt. But Kira pressed onward.

"That's why I was sent here…to conquer 'your planet' and to formally inform you of your banishment. And what pleasure I'm taking from your denial…" Kira said smirking. Zim clamped his hands where his ears should've been.

"You're lying! There's no way this can be true!" Zim told her, his voice now shaking.

"I'm telling the truth Zim, accept it," Kira whispered in a menacingly gentle voice, mocking him. "I'll leave you to ponder…farewell my short little friend." Zim stood there open mouthed before dropping to his knees and punching the pavement with a balled fist.

"It's not true, Zim…she's just trying to get under your skin…" he told himself, fighting back the sensation of bile seeping up his windpipe. "They would not…I couldn't be…an Irken banished? Unheard of…" At that moment, he felt himself be grabbed and he defensively turned around to find Dib, looking shocked and slightly worried.

"Zim, what happened? You look…terrible," he added, an eyebrow rising.

"Kira…she said…she was sent here by our leaders, the Almighty Tallest…" He couldn't finish his sentence and immediately shoved a fist in his mouth to stop himself from dry heaving.

"You're sick Zim…maybe you should just go home…" Dib remarked with an unaccustomed concern evident in his voice. Zim got up shakily and stood proudly, trying to retain his dignity.

"Perhaps you're right Dib…I think I may have one of those…viruses you Earthlings get…" he said, taking slow and steady breaths. He had completely forgotten about the plan he was constructing to get rid of Kira.

Zim was not in skool the next day, so Mrs. Bitters told Dib to bring Zim's homework to his house. Dib was cradling a stack of books under his arm as he headed towards Zim's house, mumbling something about aliens. He rang the doorbell and was greeted by a very distressed Gir.

"Big-head, Master is very sick!" he cried, attaching himself to Dib's head. Dib tore him off. "Help him! He very sick!" The robot was kicking in his grasp, trying to pull Dib's arm.

"He can't…as much as I hate to admit it, I can't devise a plan against Kira without him," Dib mumbled to himself. "Alright erm…Gir, right? Take me to Zim, quickly."

"Yay!" he cried, yanking Dib and turning his rocket boosters on. Dib shrieked as Gir dragged him down the toilet into the elevator. He stopped at a certain level and dragged him down the hallway, into a room where Zim was laying, now unconscious. The wig on his head was off and his antennae were hanging limp. Several burns were all over his body and an empty glass of water was next to him.

"_Good grief, he tried to kill himself!"_ Dib told himself with astonishment. What could Kira have told him that was so horrible? Seemingly against his will, Dib turned to Gir.

"Go find my sister...you know, purple hair, kinda creepy looking?" Dib told Gir.

"Ooh...the pretty girl! Will she help Master?" he asked worriedly, his cheerful demeanor gone. Dib sighed and nodded. "Then I will find her!" he sprang into a salute, his eyes turning red as he flew back up the elevator. Meanwhile, Dib picked up Zim and carried his lifeless and smoking form to a lab table and carefully placed him there on top of a rubber pad that was left over from Zim's last experiment. Dib had flipped it over, just in case.

"I can't put cold water on his burns, he's an Irken…it'll only make it worse!" Dib told himself, shaking his head in frustration. He wasn't sure what to do until he realized. _"Those burns! Their still wet!"_ Just as he turned around to run to the elevator, Gir returned with Gaz, who's teeth were clenched.

"Dib, you've got explaining to do! Why did this robot just forcibly drag me here?" she growled, her eyes popping out at him.

"Zim…he almost killed himself. No time to explain, he needs help. Gir, go get me towels," he told the robot. Gir flew back upstairs to get some. Gaz raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"What's up with you? I thought you hated Zim…" Gaz remarked, her arms folded.

"I do…I mean…I did…he's helping me get rid of another alien of his kind…I need him to complete the mission…" Dib told his sister, waiting for Gir to return.

"I think it's more then that…" Gaz told Dib, smirking. Dib's eyes widened under his glasses and he cringed.

"Eww, Gaz, GROSS! He's an alien for crying out loud!" Dib protested.

"That's not even what I meant…but since you put it that way…" Gaz said, snorting in laughter. Dib glared at her and, thankfully, Gir had arrived with the towels. Before Dib could grab them, Gaz tore them from Gir's grasp. "I'll handle this…you go look around for something to give him energy…"

"Master always plugs himself into that!" Gir cried out randomly, pointing to a connector that was plugged into his computer.

"Plugs…himself?" Dib asked.

"Yeah, it goes in his back!" Gir replied, flying over to it.

"Of course…that thing on his back must be his life support…that's why he doesn't eat…" Dib told himself, walking over with Gir. "So…Gir, if we plug this into his back, he might wake up?"

"I dunno! But Master always seems a lot angrier after he uses it!" Gir shouted at Dib. He slowly wiped the spittle from his face and glasses.

"Yup, it gives him energy…" Dib remarked, grabbing it and walking back towards Gaz and Zim. The alien was still unconscious, and there were several towels places all over his body.

"From what I can tell, he didn't swallow any of the water…it looks like he tried, lost his nerve, and ended up spilling it…the shock and pain caused him to pass out," Gaz told Dib and Gir.

"How do you know he didn't swallow any?" Dib asked, an eyebrow raised. Gaz sighed in frustration.

"Because if he swallowed any, he wouldn't be breathing. The water would've burned straight through his skin and short-circuited that thing on his back," she remarked, pointing to it. She grabbed the plug out of Dib's hand, causing him to protest with a loud "Hey!". "Now, Gir, where does this get plugged in?" Gir squealed and hovered over to Zim, pointing to a red spot on his PAK. Gaz looked at it and forced it open, plugging the connector into the hole. The computer made a funny noise and immediately began charging Zim's PAK. "And now we wait…I got as much water as I could out…but he'll still feel a bit of pain," Gaz remarked in monotone. Slowly, Zim's eyes fluttered open, showing that he had also taken his contacts off. He found Gaz, Dib, and Gir hovering over him and cried out in rage.

"Dib? What in Irk are you DOING here?" he demanded before cringing in pain, his hand lurching to where a burn was, only to come in contact with a towel. Zim seemed stunned. "You…why didn't you just leave me be, filthy worm babies!" he snapped, his voice shaking.

"You're welcome…" Dib remarked under his breath. "Zim, if we didn't do something, you would've died."

"Exactly!" Zim retorted, his voice shaking with anger. Gaz glared at Zim.

"Look, burning to death won't solve anything…" she growled at him before falling silent. "Dib, I'm going home…be home before dinner, we're having Bloaty's tonight. Be home…or be dead." With that Gaz went upstairs with Gir. Zim was now glaring at Dib. There was an awkward silence before Dib spoke a single word…

"Why?" he asked Zim. The alien glared and balled his fists.

"It's no concern of yours!" Zim snapped at him.

"Look, Zim, I could've just let you die! I think you own it to me to tell me what's bothering you!" Dib burst out angrily. Clearly, they were never going to get along peacefully. Zim was about to retort, but fell silent.

"_The Earthling is right…damn…"_ Zim cursed to himself. "Very well, Dib…but if I begin the story, prepare to sit through the entire tale. For it goes very far back in my so doomed life…"

"I've got until dinner, Zim. I'm still recovering from Gaz's last attack," Dib remarked. Zim nodded and took a deep breath.

"When I was but a young smeet, what you're kind calls 'child', I was enrolled in the Irken Invader's Academy for Irken Invaders. One of my classmates…was Kira. She was always a show off…and one of the most popular irkens in the Academy." Zim told Dib.

"Most popular girl, or Irken?" Dib remarked. Zim sighed.

"Irkens do not really have genders…we're all the same. Yes, there are distinct differences between 'male' and 'female' irkens, but we are all the same on the…well… inside," Zim remarked, somewhat awkwardly. "Anyway, as I was saying, Kira was constantly showing off, always proving that she was better then everyone else…that accent of hers made her different, and everyone was so _fascinated_ by it…it sickens me to think about it." Zim clenched his teeth and fists before continuing. "What's worse is that she marked me as her enemy for whatever reason. My reputation and childhood was destroyed because of her! Stupid natural-born troq! She just had to be different and destroy Zim's life!" Dib, who was silent until now, shook his head in shock.

"What do you mean, natural born?" Dib asked curiously.

"It's against Irken law to be born naturally…all smeets are born artificially in test tubes. Something obviously made Kira…special…because the Tallest allowed her to live," Zim spat, saying the word "special" with every ounce of his strength.

"I see why you hate her…but it wasn't a reason to kill yourself over," Dib remarked. Zim bared his teeth and grabbed Dib's collar in one swift motion.

"You don't get it, you stupid piece of filth! Because of her, I've been banished from my planet!" Zim was fighting back tears now. "I'm not an Invader, I'm not human! There's no place for me in this galaxy!" Zim dropped Dib and hugged his knees, grabbing his antennae and tugging on them. The human's jaw dropped.

"Banished? You mean…you're not an Irken anymore? You're not going to take over Earth?" Dib asked in astonishment.

"Don't rub it in, filthy Dib…" Zim sputtered. "But, I no longer have any place to go! Now do you see why you should not have interfered? Are you happy now, Dib? Are you?" The alien shrieked madly at Dib. He was in utter shock and could find nothing to say. If Zim wasn't going to take over Earth anymore…and he couldn't leave, what _was_ he going to do? Surely he wouldn't keep going to skool…he didn't need to know anything about humans anymore.

"Zim…what if you got rid of Kira? You'd be able to simply live here," Dib suggested, biting his lip. Zim looked up from his knees, his rose eyes even redder then usual from crying.

"I thank you for the offer, Dib, but your planet has no appeal to me…even if it did, Kira was one of the top graduates at the academy…I don't stand a chance.." Zim remarked dejectedly.

"Where did you graduate?" Dib asked curiously.

"Fifth…" Zim remarked, still hugging his knees.

"Fifth!" Dib asked with astonishment. "You defiantly stand a chance! How have you not conquered Earth by now?" Zim glared at Dib angrily.

"Look, Dib, you're not helping at the moment, and, to answer your stupid question, it's because you need more then smarts to conquer a planet…you need the ability to fight and blend in. When I saw Kira in skool today, I realized I do not rank high in either of those categories," Zim told Dib. Gir flew back into the room and straight over to the computer. Zim didn't care as he started pushing buttons until the connector that was plugged into his PAK gave him a painful shock. "GIR!" he snapped angrily, unplugging himself. "Go upstairs and watch TV!"

"OK MASTER!" Gir shouted, zooming back up the elevator. Dib raised an eyebrow.

"That robot of yours is…disturbing," Dib remarked, still staring at the elevator.

"Yes…no doubt the Tallest gave him to me as a joke as well...he has too many glitches to simply be over looked," Zim remarked, burying his head into his knees. Dib awkwardly patted the alien on his shoulder, causing Zim to recoil and smack his hand away. "Don't think this means I like you, Dib! Far from it!" The distraught Irken was now standing on the table. Dib glared at him.

"I'm leaving…before my sister can find a reason to be even angrier…and don't try anything stupid Zim…your house is still wired," Dib remarked, flashing a smirk, causing Zim to snarl in rage.

"Filthy Earthling, why can't you leave me alone!" Zim asked angrily, shaking a fist in Dib's direction.

"Good night, Zim," Dib remarked with a smirk, disappearing into the elevator.


	3. The Plan

_Reviews! They make me happy and such!_

FallenAngel1331: I knew you'd be the first (and second) reviewer. XB Thanks for the comments. I wasn't sure if I was making Zim abit over the top. And to be honest, that was the first thing I thought when I was asking myself "How would an Irken go about killing himself?" With water of course! D

And another thing, if anybody wants pictures of Kira or the little surprise I have for later, let me know by email or review and I'll send them. Make sure I have a place to send them!

_Another note, my disclaimer is on the other pages. I won't be posting it anymore.  
_

_So here's some more for you. READ ON CHILDREN OF DOOM!_

Zim woke up next morning; his eyes were still red from the night before. He rubbed them and looked around the room. He smelled Gir's attempts at making waffles and sighed, walking into the kitchen. "Gir, what have I told you about cooking while I'm sleeping?" Zim asked with annoyance, still rubbing his eyes. Gir looked up from the waffle iron.

"I dunno!" Gir cried out. The waffles he was making were beginning to burn. Zim quickly unplugged the waffle iron and took a waffle, which was still hot.

"GREAT IRK!" he cursed, dropping it and waving his arm around in the air like a madman. Tears were streaming down his face now, as his hand was already burnt from the water the day before. "What's the use? I'm going to skool…" he told himself, still dejected. He shoved the contacts in his eyes and threw his wig on, ignoring the pain in his eyes. He lazily pushed the door open and headed to skool.

When he got there, he completely ignored Kira's death glare, Dib's look of shock, and Mrs. Bitters's look of annoyance.

"Nice of you to join us, Zim…" Mrs. Bitters hissed. Zim looked up at her with a look of disregard. She went on to lecture how doomed the planet was. When the bell rang for lunch, Zim was the first one out of the room, making sure he was ahead of Kira. Dib caught up with him.

"Why did you come?" Dib asked curiously, his eyebrow raising.

"It's become routine, Dib…besides, I have nothing else to do now…" Zim remarked in a tone unlike his normal confident voice.

"Well…maybe I can cheer you up a bit…" Dib remarked, thrusting a book and a queer device into Zim's chest. "Kira dropped these…make anything of them?"

"This is a genetic breakdown modulator…most Irkens have them…it shows the user what a subject is made up of…" Zim remarked in a matter of fact tone. "And this is a filthy Earth book on Genetics and Mythology."

"Odd combo for a book…" Dib remarked. Zim shrugged and gave the stuff back to Dib, pitifully walking over to his own table. Dib flipped through a few pages and glanced at the device. Realization struck as he saw a bookmark. "Zim, wait! I know what she's planning!" But Zim had already sat down. Dib ran over and put the stuff down, opening the book to a page labeled 'dragons and what you should know'. "Zim, she's going to try and create a dragon! There's nothing in our military to withstand that!" The Irken looked at the page with a bright look on his face.

"The ability to fly, diamond-hard scales, and the ability to breathe fire! What a creature!" Zim said with a gasp. "This is what I mean…Kira is much smarter then me…I could never come up with something as brilliant." Dib growled and smacked Zim in the back of the head.

"Look, you have a right to be upset, but right now, you need to stop thinking about yourself!" Dib snapped angrily. Zim didn't react to the chastisement; he simply sighed and poked at the food on his plate. Dib suddenly felt guilty but he shook it off. "You need to help me figure out a way to sabotage her plan!" Zim sighed and looked at Dib.

"Very well…" he remarked. "I would send Gir, but he would be too obvious…could you…what's the term you Earthlings use…'bug' her with one of your devices?" Dib's eyes widened and he smacked himself in the head.

"I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think of that in the first place?" Dib asked himself.

"Because I am superior, little Dib stink," Zim remarked with a smirk. Dib glared at him.

"Easy on the insults, we're supposed to be on the same side now," Dib growled.

"As I said before, Earth scum, it doesn't mean I have to like you," Zim retorted. Dib shook his head.

"Whatever, I'll get on it tonight…but I'll have to improvise," Dib remarked, reaching towards Zim's pack.

"What are you doing?" Zim growled in astonishment, recoiling when Dib got to close. Without responding, Dib wrestled him to the ground and pulled something extremely small off the top of it. "What is that?" he demanded.

"I said I had to improvise, didn't I?" Dib asked, smirking.

"You bugged me!" Zim cried in outrage.

"A while ago…anyway, I'll get this on Kira…but you'll need to distract her," Dib remarked. Zim suddenly looked fearful.

"Why me? Why can't you distract her and I'll bug her!" Zim demanded, punching his hand with a balled fist.

"Because she won't talk to me…I've noticed she's trying to avoid human contact…" Dib remarked. "Anyway, you get her attention after school and I'll take care of the rest…just make sure you hold it." Zim sighed in defeat and nodded.

After school Zim was outside, trying to hide his fear that they would be discovered. Kira wouldn't hesitate to expose him now that he was no longer and Irken. He paced and caught a glimpse of Kira walking out of skool, her book of genetics and mythology tucked under her arm once more. The Irken caught sight of him immediately and shot him a glare. He froze in place and took a nervous step backward but she was beside him in two seconds flat.

"Why did you even bother coming today Zim?" Kira asked, glaring. "You're up to something…and I don't appreciate being plotted against…"

"W-w-what are you talking about?" he stuttered innocently. He caught Dib sneaking up on Kira out of the corner of his eye and did his best to ignore him.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, shortie!" Kira snapped, her fists clenching. Dib was now wiring the device to Kira's PAK, causing her to twitch in pain and surprise. He had just pulled back and was about to dive into a bush, but Kira had whipped around and grabbed Dib by the collar of his trench coat, causing his to sputter in surprise. "I KNEW IT!" she snapped angrily, shaking Dib in mid-air. He started kicking and punching while still being held, trying to get free. Zim glared at Kira.

"Put him down!" Zim snapped angrily, causing both Kira's and Dib's eyes to widen. Suddenly Kira burst out laughing, clutching her gut.

"Oh how cute! Little Zimmy found himself a life-mate!" Kira barked, still clutching her gut. "Oh, my squeedly spooch! This is simply too funny!"

"Life…mate?" Dib asked cluelessly, but Zim was positively livid with anger now.

"Oh come now, Zim, you didn't even explain your culture to him? Poor dearie…" Kira remarked, lowering Dib and stroking him on the head as if he was an animal. This caused him to growl and squirm in her grasp.

"Let go of me!" Dib snapped. Zim finally snapped.

"Kira, you invoke the wrath of ZIM!" he shrieked, diving for Kira, who was taken completely by surprise. She dropped Dib and easily pulled off Zim who was clawing at her face.

"And you invoke the wrath of an Irish lassie!" Kira shrieked back, throwing Zim into a wall with a sickening crunch. She growled and walked over to Zim, grabbing the dazed alien before he could move. "I was going to wait a wee bit to get rid of you, but I think you've lived out your uselessness." Kira raised her fist to punch Zim in the PAK, but Dib had tackled her from behind, causing her to lose balance. She bared her teeth and stood up, trying to shake him off. She couldn't use the devices inside her PAK, as there were too many humans around. She snarled in rage and dropped Zim, ripping Dib off her back. "You, filthy Earthling, tamper with powers you cannot begin to comprehend!" She tossed him into Zim and backed up, glaring evilly at the pair. "I'll deal with the two of you later…I have a planet to conquer…" The raven floating nearby landed on her shoulder, looking at Zim and Dib with bright red eyes and Kira departed without another word. The two were left glaring at the disappearing alien until she turned the corner and was out of sight.


	4. Robots and Life Mates

_YAY! More reviews!_

_Elen: Well, that'd be the easy way…I (and Zim) like to complicate things a bit. Besides, my intention wasn't to kill him. He's much too awesome for that!_

_I command the rest of you to review! And while I'm waiting, I suppose I'll just feed you another chapter, yes?_

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The next day, Zim was absent from school once more. To make sure that he wasn't doing anything stupid, Dib checked him carefully through the network he had hooked up to Zim's base. The alien was hunched over a lab table, putting something together. Gir was playing with several buttons on the computer, but Zim was ignoring him.

"GREAT IRK!" he cursed as one of computer's arms swung over to pick him up. "GIR! STOP PLAYING WITH THE COMPUTER!"

"Oooookie dokie!" Gir remarked, running off to go find his Minnie Moose. Dib notice something flicker in the corner of the screen and immediately turned his attention to it. It did not move again. He glared suspiciously at the screen before watching Zim again.

"Finally…why on Irk did she tighten the bolts so much?" Zim grumbled before unlatching the device. Dib immediately recognized it as Kira's GBM, or genetic breakdown modulator as Zim called it.

"To keep fools like you from dismantling it," a robotic voice hissed. It was a feminine voice…too feminine to be Gir's. Zim dropped the tool and GBM in fright.

"Who are you? Show yourself to Zim!" he called out.

"I don't take orders from non-Irkens…" the robotic voice responded. Zim's teeth clenched in anger.

"You're that troq's robot!" Zim barked into the room.

"Watch your language, short stuff!" the robot barked. Zim snapped at the insult.

"COMPUTER! INTRUDER ALERT!" he shrieked. There was no response and Zim's antennae fell nervously. "Com…puter?" Zim asked.

"You might as well not bother…it's been disconnected," the robot told him, dropping from the area where Dib had spotted movement. The unit looked nothing like Gir; instead, its eyes were a glowing red in color and its torso seemed better built. The robot had two antennae instead of one and its arms had spikes on them. It was glaring at Zim with a vengeance only Kira could match. "My Mistress told me that I should introduce myself before disintegrating you. I am SIR unit 22686113, or as my Mistress calls me, Sera." The robot bowed briefly before straightening up. A blaster appeared out of her arm. "My Mistress says 'Farewell'." Zim panicked and immediately ran out of the way just as a shot was fired. It ricocheted off the computer screen and right into one of Dib's secret cameras. The last thing Dib heard from Zim was "Gir! Help me!". The bell had rung just in time and Dib sprinted out of the classroom like a madman.

As Dib ran down the street, he saw Zim sprint out onto the front lawn in his disguise, only to lock eyes with Dib.

"Dib! Run!" Zim called out. The human took a step forward just before two blurs shot out of the house. Dib recognized them as Gir and Sera.

"Hold still, you infertile contraption!" Sera snapped, doing her best to shoot Gir down. But the little droid was simply too hyper to keep up with.

"Weeeeeeeehoooooo!" Gir cried as he did a somersault to avoid Sera's fire.

"Dib, I told you to run!" Zim snapped at Dib. But instead, the human ran towards the squabbling Irken units. "ARE YOU MAD!" The alien shouted, missing Dib's collar by inches as he dove to stop him. Just as Gir spiraled upward to avoid another of Sera's attacks, Dib tackled Sera to the ground, causing the robot to fire madly in another direction.

"What is this?" she asked angrily, trying to stand. While she may have had robotic strength, her body mass was simply too small to lift Dib off. "Oh, you must be the life mate…am I correct?"

"What in Earth's name is a life mate?" Dib demanded, lifting off Sera slightly.

"DIB, YOU FILTHY EARTH IDIOT!" Zim barked as Sera turned her rocket boosters on and blasted herself out from under Dib and, at the same time, lighting him on fire. Dib shrieked in surprise and terror.

"Stop, Drop, and Roll!" he cried, going through the motions. Zim smacked his forehead in disgrace. Sera, however, was busy laughing

"Now, Zim, prepare for annihilation!" Sera called out, pointing her blaster at him. But the robot seemed to freeze as the two antennae on her head began to beep and glow. Suddenly without another word, Sera's rocket boosters turned on and she flew off. Dib and Zim sighed with relief, but it was short lived as the Earthling rounded on the Irken.

"Alright, now…explain what on Earth a 'life mate' is," Dib demanded. Zim recoiled and his antennae fell in apprehension.

"Well-I-erm…" he stuttered. "Oh look, taquitos!" He pointed in a random direction before sprinting back inside. Dib rolled his eyes at Zim's attempt of a diversion.

"TAQUITOS!" Gir burst out of nowhere, looking around. "Where are the taquitos! I NEED them!" Dib shook his head and dragged Gir back to Zim's house, knocking on the door.

"Zim, I just saw you run in there. Open the door and take your robot…" Dib remarked. Zim didn't answer, so Dib simply left him there and walked away. Zim watched him leave from behind his curtains. Dib continued to walk down the street until Kira, who looked very angry, stopped him.

"You, filthy meat child, need to stay out of my affairs…if I ever find your fingerprints on my things again…consider yourself disintegrated…" Kira growled in his face. Dib simply glared back at her. "You best watch yourself, child…I am not a pushover like your short little life mate…I do not hesitate to kill." Dib would've been intimidated if Kira had not mentioned the words "life mate" again.

"What. Is. A. LIFE MATE!" Dib demanded angrily.

"I'll leave Zim to answer that one for you…but I warn you…one more interference, and I'll make sure your body is the first to burn in the path of my destruction," Kira growled, staring him down. NOW, Dib was intimidated. She was about a foot taller then Zim, not to mention more dangerous. "And next time you see little Zimmy…tell him that I'm still as resourceful as I was in the Academy…he'll understand." Her last statement was said with an absurd sweetness, as if Kira had lost all evil in her body. She coyly twirled a lock of his hair before turning around. "Take heed to what I have said…I wouldn't want my only adversary to be disposed of so soon. Farewell, Mr. Membrane…" She walked off, leaving Dib stunned to her sudden kindness. He straightened up indignantly, trying to show he was unaffected as he turned to walk off. He was met with Zim, who was in full disguise and glaring at Dib. He jumped in surprise at his presence.

"What was THAT about?" Zim asked, pushing his finger into Dib's chest. He pushed it off and dusted his shirt.

"Calm down, Zim…she was simply warning me not to interfere again," Dib remarked, flattening the lock of hair Kira had twisted.

"You should listen to her…you could've gotten yourself killed…Sera was on the offensive, Gir was on the defensive…both could've easily killed you had you not jumped. Next time I say leave, I suggest you listen to me," Zim remarked angrily, glaring at Dib, who was at lost for words.

"This is the SECOND time I've saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?" Dib demanded.

"You fail to understand something Dib…" Zim glowered. "Despite what Kira may say or think, I. Do. Not. Like. You." Zim's chest swelled with indignity. Dib's eyes widened for a moment, before shrinking into a glare.

"So that's what Kira meant by 'life mate' then?" Dib asked, still glaring. Zim sighed and smacked his forehead.

"Yes, that is what she meant," Zim remarked, his voice shaking in agitation. "On Irk, not many Irkens find a life mate, simply because we are an invading society. Everyone's sole purpose is to conquer other planets…our planet won't be able to live peacefully and normally until our goal is realized…even once our Tallest are gone, the obsession to conquer will be passed down, as it has been through the years. If an Irken finds a life mate at all, it's usually from the planet they are sent to conquer. Irkens are too witty and obsessive to court each other in most cases. Since I was defending you from her, that's what she assumed and, as much as I DESPISE to admit it, she had a good reason. We are self centered by nature…we usually don't care for insignificant creatures like yourself." Dib shook his head in disbelief. How was Zim so smart? "HOWEVER, that accusation is completely false...who could love a meat sack like yourself anyway?" Without another word, Zim stomped off, leaving Dib standing there, frozen in place with his jaw hanging open. Memories of the mistreatment from his peers slowly etched its way through his head as Zim's phrase repeated itself. It had hit him very hard, and left him speechless. He watched Zim disappear inside his house before finally running off towards his own, trying to increase the distance between them.


	5. Zim's Pact of Doom

And now, to respond to everyone!

The Mighty Sisto and Pork Fat (): No, you misunderstand. She simply sounds like she's irish. That little part where she referred to herself as an 'Irish lassie' was simply because there were people around…she has to keep a low profile ya know. In fact, my friend described what she thought about that in the following manner: "Because she is natural born, the accent is a defect". So, I'm going with that…besides, if Irishmen were Irkens, that would make me one too.

Elen: I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully, I can keep dishing them out, yes?

I understand, that might have been abit confusing, and I probably should've explained it first. And with that, I present a new chapter!

* * *

The following day, Zim was once again missing in action. Dib checked to see if his cameras were still working. Only one in Zim's lab wasn't functioning; it was the one Sera had shot after Zim had dodged. Dib was so preoccupied with watching Zim's labor that he failed to notice that Kira was missing as well. However, that all ceased when Gir flew across the room and nearly smacked Zim in the head. The Irken looked up with wide eyes.

"KIRA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" he shrieked, pointing across the room and backing up. "IS NOTHING SACRED!"

"I don't need etiquette lessons from you," Kira's voice came. "Since you are no longer a legal Irken, I need not show you the same courtesy I'd show an Invader…" Zim growled. "Besides, I'm not here to destroy you…not yet, anyway…" Zim suddenly lost his defensive demeanor.

"You're…not?" Zim asked curiously, holding Gir's arm tight so he wouldn't run away. Kira shook her head.

"No…in fact, I'm here to make you a simple offer…" she remarked sweetly. Zim seemed to bristle in apprehension. She was up to something, that was certain. "Here's the deal…you sever your contact with that human, and I MIGHT consider allowing you to live…however, you'd have to stay with me and listen to what I tell you to do…for your safety as well as mine."

"You mean like a slave…" Zim hissed angrily, his eyes narrowing.

"Look, if you don't want that, I can just kill you right now…" Kira added impatiently.

"You'd have to do that anyway…you don't have the authority to change what the Tallest have decreed…" Zim remarked, sounding rather put off and forlorn. He saw Kira walk into the camera's range in her disguise.

"On the contrary Zim…I DO have the authority…" Kira remarked, sticking her arm out to invite her SIR unit, Sera, forward. The robot sprang to her side immediately.

"Impossible…there's no way you could have any of the same privileges as the Tallest," Zim remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh that's right, you've been on Earth…you haven't heard the news…" Kira remarked with a sinister grin.

"OUT WITH IT, WOMAN!" Zim snapped, shaking his fist.

"If you say so…Sera, deactivate hologram!" Kira barked to her robot.

"Yes, mistress!" Sera responded, springing into a salute. Her eyes and antennae began to glow as well as Kira's body. An energy ring swept down her body and the hologram disappeared. When the process was finished, Zim's mouth was agape. Unfortunately, Dib needed to shut the monitor at this point.

'K-k-kira?" he stammered, as if trying to confirm it was still her. The Irken had clearly aged: she was a foot taller than Zim with dark green tones, much unlike his light green complexion. Her eyes were glowed ruby red and she wore a traditional invader tunic, but it was blue instead of purple. Her PAK was the same way. Her antennae were curled, like most female Irkens, and they were donned with two hanging shamrock charms. She wore a navy blue headband with a golden symbol of the planet Irk on it. "You're a destined Tallest! But that can't be!"

"Actually, I'm merely a candidate…I have less power then a destined…but I have enough to rid you of your sentence…if you do exactly as I say…" Kira told him, her hands on her hips. "You may be a klutz and a screw-up, but you still have a lot of brain power…such power should not be wasted." Zim glared at Kira slightly.

"And if I refuse?" Zim asked.

"Then I go ahead and take over the planet anyway…that Earthling pet of yours will be the first to go…and I'll make you watch while he's dying…" Kira remarked, taking back her evil tones. Zim opened his mouth to retort, but Kira cut him off. "I'll have none of this 'he's not my life mate' business…you may not have informed him yet, but you obviously care for him, Zim…you forget that I went to the Academy with you…I know your personality far too well." Kira stared him down. "Not to mention that dance…" Dib had reentered the conversation at this point. Skool had just ended.

"Alright alright, you've made your point Kira," Zim remarked with distaste. "But, if I do agree to this, you need to promise me you won't kill Dib in the process of your invasion…" Kira glared at Zim.

"That wasn't part of the deal, laddie…" Kira remarked. "You should be cheery that I'm sparing you at all." Zim shook his head.

"If he's going to be killed either way, then I'd rather die then be a slave to one such as you," Zim remarked angrily and forcefully, obviously dreading the decision he had to make. Kira laughed.

"Your tongue is as sharp as your mind, Zim…like always," Kira chuckled at him. "Very well…I will spare your mate…maybe I'll even take him in as well once the planet is conquered…as long as we have a deal…" Kira stuck out a gloved hand to shake. Dib watched apprehensively. Surely Zim wouldn't agree? He wouldn't sacrifice Earth's only chance to save his own life as well as his.

"_Wait…yes he would…"_ Dib remarked, smacking himself in the forehead. He watched in horror as Zim shook Kira's hand.

"You win Kira…" Zim remarked in defeat. Kira was smirking wickedly.

"I know," Kira said quickly, releasing Zim's hand and shaking her own in mid-air. "Now then…remember what I said…you are to avoid that Earthling until I give you further orders. Sera already cut off your communication with the Tallest so they can't find you…my base can't fit anymore at the moment, so you'll have to stay here…" Zim was glaring angrily at Kira. "Listen closely Zim…I know you don't like me, and you know I don't like you…however, your brainpower will be very useful in the long run…so don't screw this one up…" Zim didn't respond as Kira backed up. "Reactivate hologram Sera, we're leaving…" The SIR unit responded accordingly and the two left without another word. Zim sighed and released Gir's arm. He abandoned his work and sat down in his chair, sinking as low as he could.

"How could you let her do that?" Zim asked himself, messaging his temple. "She won't get away with it…" He smacked his fist on the desk and immediately began thinking of ways to thwart Kira's plans for conquest. Dib shut his laptop in defeat, his eyes wide with tension and uncertainty. It seemed there was so much more to Zim than he knew and only now did he feel the strong desire to learn more about him. However, with Kira's new pact, it would be damn near impossible to get within 10 feet of him. Still…there had to be a way to keep contact without Kira knowing. With that, Dib turned to run inside his house and immediately got to work on new ways to establish communication.

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Short chapter this time…I was at lost of what to write…hopefully the next one will be better. I apologize in advance. 


	6. Irken Behavior of Mystery

More reviews, teh w00t!

FallenAngel1331: You're back, yay! And it's quite alright…I'm grounded, so I'm not even supposed to be posting this. Go figure!

Elen: Yes ma'am! I'll try to get these up quicker. Hehe.

The Mighty Sisto: No problem. I take criticism well most of the time, as long as you have an explanation for it.

ONWARD WE GO!

* * *

The weekend brought nothing but annoyance to the Membrane family. Dib was constantly hounding his father, Professor Membrane, about communication technology and Gaz was continuously being interrupted while playing her Game Slave 2.

"I'm telling this to you for the last time, Dib…unless you want me to plunge you into a nightmare world of which there is no return, you will leave me the hell alone…" Gaz snapped at her brother. Dib had refrained from bothering her after that.

Zim had been the exact opposite. He had been sulking around his house, not doing anything unless Kira called him, which was almost never. Even Gir, who was normally running around the house like a horny monkey on speed, was more secluded and docile. He preferred to watch TV rather then interact with Zim.

There had been several signs that Kira's plan was going well. There was no sign of her anywhere. Only Sera came out of the house to observe while her master stayed inside. If Kira did come out, she was nursing burns most of the time.

Dib also noticed that, lately, when Kira and Zim had been near each other, they had been acting very strangely, more so than usual. Kira was always twitching and Zim looked as if he was going to puke. Both of them looked very weak. The human couldn't make heads or tails of it for, as soon as they noticed their behavior, they had starting keeping their distance from one another. Dib was on the brink of explosion from his curiosity until…

"Wait! How could I be so stupid?" Dib asked himself out loud, smacking himself in the forehead. "Assuming he hasn't destroyed that chip…I could communicate using Gir!" Dib suddenly sighed in defeat. "Gir's radio frequency is in my room somewhere…I'll never find it!" He smacked his head against the wall. "But I have to try!" With that, Dib started to run upstairs, skipping every two until he smacked into his door. "I will find-!" He was cut off as the door swung back to meet him. Dib feebly pushed it open and rubbed his head. "I will find it!" He dove into a pile of papers on his desk and began looking.

Meanwhile, back at Zim's base, Gir was patiently waiting for Zim to come out of the bathroom.

"Was it my taquitos? I'm sorry master!" Gir cried, tears coming to his bright blue eyes. A few moments later, the toilet flushed and the door opened, leaving Zim to hobble out, rubbing his head and holding his stomach.

"No Gir, it wasn't you…" Zim remarked sickly. "It's Kira…why does she have to be here now of all times?" He held his stomach again and a fresh wave of weakness hit him, nearly causing Zim to fall over. "Stupid troq…she is the source of all Zim's pain!" He continued to curse her as he collapsed on the couch. "Ugh…computer! Scan my body for any deficiencies!" Immediately, a scanner appeared from the roof and a red beam scanned the Irken.

"Analyzing…" the computer said. A moment later, a few charts came up on the TV screen. "Taromonium deficiency detected."

"As I expected…" Zim remarked feebly. "Computer, scan for Earth items containing taromonium."

"Scanning…" the computer responded. A few minutes later, it responded. "No taromonium detected on Earth."

"WHAT!" Zim cried in outrage. "How am I supposed to function with such weakness? I can barely lift my antennae!" He panted from all the energy he wasted on yelling. "Com…puter, is there…anything on Earth that is similar to taromonium?"

"Yes…a mineral called Calcium," the computer told him. Zim sighed in some relief.

"What is its form?" Zim asked.

"A silver white rock," the computer remarked. Zim cringed in disgust.

"I am not walking around chewing Earth rocks!" Zim barked at the computer, as if it was its fault. "Is there any Earth…food…that is high in this mineral?"

"Yes," the computer remarked, giving Zim a list on another screen.

"Milk, cheese, BEANS!" Zim cried. "The most disgusting of Earth filth must contain my energy! CURSE YOU EARTH FILTH!" Zim forced the sudden flow of bile back down his throat. "I guess I have no choice…Gir, fetch me this Earth filth I require!"

"Yes master, I obey!" Gir cried, springing into a salute. He slipped into his dog suit and walked out the door. Zim remained feeble on the couch, groaning with weakness and pain.

"Kira, I only hope you are experiencing the same pain as I…possibly more," Zim grumbled. A half-an-hour later, Gir returned with two bags, filled with the specified items.

"Master, I have returned with your desires!" Gir remarked. "And I got a giant burrito too!"

"Gir, I did not say…oh never mind, you take the burrito and give me the rest…" Zim remarked. Gir's eyes lit up and he immediately handed Zim the bag without the burrito. He took off his disguise and his antenna began to blink. Zim raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" Gir didn't respond. Instead, a TV screen came out of his head and Dib's face appeared onscreen. Zim gasped in surprise and terror. "What. Are. You. Doing? Are you trying to get me killed?"

"No," Dib responded simply. "Jeez, what happened to you? You look terrible…"

"It is no concern to you!" Zim remarked, nearly barfing in the process. "Now go away before Kira's monstrous technology discovers you."

"She won't find out as long as Gir isn't wired…and as long as you two are still avoiding each other," Dib added.

"We're not avoiding each other!" Zim cried indignantly.

"Don't give me that load of dookey, Zim. I've been watching the two of you. Every time you get near one another, you start twitching or feeling sick. And now look at you! You've stooped to eating Earth food! That's not like you, Zim, so don't try to tell me nothing is wrong," Dib remarked.

"Well, enough of your questions. Perhaps you could answer mine…what is with your sudden interest in me and my culture, Dib?" Zim asked, glaring slightly. Dib froze in his seat.

"I've always been interested!" Dib protested.

"Yes, but never like this…" Zim remarked, gentler then before.

"You're avoiding my question!" Dib snapped suddenly.

"And you're avoiding mine!" Zim snapped back.

"Well you…you…" Dib stuttered. He growled and shook his fist. "My interest doesn't matter right now…we need to get rid of Kira!"

"I can't help you anymore Dib…" Zim remarked pitifully.

"What are you talking about, of course you can!" Dib said. "That's why I transmitted through you're robot. My radio frequency is linked to Gir now…"

"That's not what I meant," Zim said. "It's too risky for me to get close to anyone right now…" Dib raised an eyebrow.

"Zim, if you won't tell me what's going on, then I'll find out some other way!" Dib snapped. "Stop keeping secrets. We're working together now!"

"That's where you're wrong Dib…" Zim said softly, his energy still too low to really argue. "We are simply working together until Kira is gone…"

"Zim, don't you get it? You're stuck on Earth! Why won't you listen to reason and help out your new home planet?" Dib asked Zim. This statement caused Zim to cringe like a disciplined puppy.

"This filthy dirt planet will never be my home!" Zim cried out. "Do you hear me Earthling? NEVER!" Zim feebly lifted a gloved hand and pointed accusingly in Dib's direction. Dib sighed at Zim's sudden rage.

"Look, I'm sorry…but please Zim, for the love of humanity, tell me what's going on!" Dib begged. "Maybe I can help you…" Zim cringed at Dib's begging.

"Don't reduce yourself to begging like a glorgensplorch, Dib…" Zim told him. He raised an eyebrow at the strange word. "If you so desire to know, perhaps some observation on Kira will help you…I am simply too tired to accurately describe what is happening." Before Dib could protest, Zim responded. "It has much worse effects on females…you will get your answers from her…that bug is still on her...use it." He took a deep breath. "I need to go and consume this filth you call food before I'm reduced to a withering pile of nothing. Only contact me if it is necessary…good-bye and good luck. Gir, de…deactivate transmission…" The robot immediately did as he was commanded. Dib watched the screen go fuzzy and resigned himself to taking Zim's advice. He quickly switched the signal over to Kira's bug, which was programmed to separate and wire itself through the house. Luckily, it had done just that, and Kira didn't suspect a thing. He began to observe the Irken as she paced senselessly. Her entire base was in disarray and it was almost impossible to see anything. Tables and chairs had been turned over or moved; random things had been pushed into one corner for seemingly no reason. While Kira paced, her muscles seemed to twitch with every step she took. Dib fell completely silent as Kira began to speak.

"This cursed planet…the comet was not due on Irk for another six months! Why did it need to come now?" Kira burst out angrily. Sera was off in a corner, watching her master vent. "The last thing I need is distractions…and this bloody comet is ruining my plans! I haven't been able to go near the dragon since Zim left!" She growled angrily. "I should've killed him, then I wouldn't have this problem! No Irkens would be around and I wouldn't have to suffer like this! Even so, ANYONE would've been better than HIM! Look at me, Sera! Nothing has even happened yet and I'm already nesting! Curse this filthy planet! Damn it to the fiery depths of hell!" Sera tilted her head and said nothing. Dib's mouth was hanging open.

"_Nesting?" _Dib asked himself incredulously._ "Zim and Kira must have some form of Calcium deficiency from all of the energy their bodies are preparing. This comet stimulates Irkens to mate! That's why they are acting so weird!" _Dib immediately brought a web page up for upcoming space phenomenons, searching for comets. "No way! Haley's Comet is coming?" Dib sighed. "I REALLY need to start paying more attention to these things…"

* * *

Hehe…not too much of a cliffy, right? The plot thickens! Will Kira ever finish her creation? Will Dib confront Zim or Kira about the comet? What will happen if one gets to close to the other during the comet's passing? You'll just have to wait and find out. 


	7. The Comet Cometh

Reviews still rock my toe socks.

**DLBN**: AT LAST! Someone recognizes the reference! Hands you a Teen Titans plushie and a Gir plushie. I'm a Teen Titans fanatic as well as an Invader Zim fanatic. I figured 'troq' fit in perfectly with this story.

**Elen: **Well thank you very much. :D

For those of you who don't know, the word 'troq' originally came from the Teen Titans series, from the episode called "Troq". If you want to know more, go to and look for the episode description.

Enough of that. To the story!

* * *

For the rest of the day, Dib was battling his curiosity. He wanted to talk to Zim about what was happening, but at the same time, he didn't want to further upset him. Obviously, he wasn't looking forward to comet's passing.

"_But then again…who could look forward to THAT?_" Dib asked himself, cringing at the thought. The comet was due in three days and Dib dreaded the knowledge he possessed. With two Irkens on the planet during the passing, the results would be disastrous if they were too close to each other. On that day, they would both need to remain in solitude, away from humans as well. Halley's Comet (A/N: I misspelled it last chapter) would cloud their judgment. _"They won't know who is an Irken or who isn't."_ Dib began to sweat slightly. _"I could care less about what happens to Kira…but Zim will be exposed! I can't let that happen...he'll have no place to go."_ He shook his head. _"Something…or someone needs to keep him busy during the passing…but it's too risky! If I go there to make sure he's ok…he might think I'm Kira."_

"Ugh, GROSS!" Dib cried aloud as he pictured what would happen as a result. "Stupid logic…it taunts me!" Dib took a freezie off his desk and began to sip it, not caring how old it could've been. "But…ugh, I guess I have to. Or I could just wait outside…and if he tries to come out…then do something about it…yeah, let's do that…" The human shook his head and put the freezie back on his desk before walking out the door.

The next two days were filled with dread and apprehension. Dib observed Kira fortifying her base in an attempt to keep herself contained. She seemed to be doing it against her will, but she still managed to build a few barriers. Occasionally, she stopped to watch Dib as he watched her, but then she would resume her task as if nothing had happened. Dib found her obsession unnerving.

Zim was still getting over the sickness from the Earth food he ate as well as dealing with the normal behaviors of the comet's coming. Sera was doing all she could to help Kira while Gir simply tried his best to stay out of Zim's way. Dib only called Zim once more and it was to inform him of his plan.

"So, I'll be outside to make sure you don't come out…" Dib finished.

"You shouldn't be risking yourself like this…" Zim remarked. "If Kira gets out while you're out there, the effects will be far more disastrous…remember, I told you this effects females more than males."

"It's a risk I'm going to take…" Dib remarked seriously. "Maybe you don't want to admit it, but you're on my side now…I lose you, I lose this battle."

"Dib, listen to the words you're saying for Irk's sake!" Zim cried angrily. "You could lose so much if Kira or I escapes! So much!"

"Just worry about yourself…stay inside," Dib remarked. "Kira's fortified herself in her base…even if she can get out, it will take her a while to get through all that."

"Dib, you…GIR, STOP EATING THOSE!" Zim called suddenly. "I need them! And they stink up your exhaust pipe!" Gir, who was devouring Zim's bag of beans, stopped immediately.

"YES MY HOMELY MASTER!" Gir cried, springing in salute, shaking the screen.

"STOP MOVING, GIR!" Zim cried before glaring at his robot. "What do you mean homely!"

"ZIM!" Dib interjected with irritation. "Just try to relax…I need to leave."

"Wait!" Zim called, stopping him. "On the night of passing…bring a weapon. Once the comet is visible, there's no telling what will happen…you need to be prepared…shoot me or Kira if you must."

"Fine…good luck Zim," Dib said.

"The same, Dib," Zim told Dib before lying backwards on the couch. Dib deactivated the transmission with reluctance and went downstairs to prepare himself for the passing.

The following day, Dib had decided to patrol early, just incase. He carried a tank of water on his back, attached to a water gun. He had decided it was the best weapon. When he reached Zim's neighborhood, he saw Sera and Gir outside of their bases. Sera was sporting a blaster while Gir was playing with his Minnie Moose. Rather then risk getting too close to Sera, Dib motioned Gir over.

"Hello, Big head!" Gir cried out. Dib immediately covered his mouth.

"Shh!" Dib told Gir. "Is Zim doing alright?"

"Master is horny, big head!" Gir told Dib cheerfully, squeaking his moose in Dib's face. He cringed in annoyance. "He says Kira is too! Master says to keep watch!"

"Ok, go do that…" Dib told Gir, eager to get rid of him. Gir sprung into duty mode and marched back over to the base. Dib looked at Sera, who was glaring at him from afar, the blaster cocked slightly. Dib stood there, watching the robots as the day passed. Neither moved from their position until night fell. At night, he could see their eyes glowing red straight through the dark streets. Even Gir was sporting a blaster, locked in duty mode. It sent a shiver down Dib's spine as he realized how serious the situation was. He looked up as a cloud shifted, showing the Halley's Comet as it streaked across the sky, it's tail long and blue. _"I see why this comet is the one…it's beautiful…"_ He saw the robots tense and his eyes flicked over to Zim's house. He spotted movement inside and saw Zim's glowing red eyes staring right at him. _"What have I gotten myself into?"_ Dib asked himself. As a safety precaution, Dib began to pump the water gun. He ducked as two lasers flew straight at him. The sound had startled both units into firing at him. Instinctively, Dib backed off to watch from a distance, ignoring Zim's doorknob as the Irken struggled with it. His eyes flickered to Kira's base and saw her struggling with her barriers, which were beginning to fall under her relentless assault. The human's heart fell into his stomach as he heard a door swing open. Zim staggered outside, his wig askew and his contacts slipping slightly. He had fallen to the ground and was obviously holding himself back from charging at Dib.

"Run, Dib!" Zim barked as he tried to pull himself inside. Gir was looking clueless as to what to do. A laser flew straight past Dib and Gir to hit Zim in the head and forced him halfway back inside. Dib looked up to see Sera, her smoking blaster aimed at Zim. At this point, Gir knew he had to push the stunned Zim back inside and shut the door. After doing that, Gir decided to do a small victory dance. It was short lived as Dib heard a pounding sound from Kira's base. Her second of three barriers had fallen.

"_The night is barely half over! How am I supposed to keep this up?"_ Dib asked himself. He didn't get his question answered as Kira's blood red eyes appeared in a window. It smashed with a loud shattering sound and Dib automatically aimed his water gun at her. Kira was struggling to move now as she had spent most of her energy on getting outside. Sera could not shoot her own master so she simply activated the hologram to keep the two of them hidden. The raven cawed and hopped onto a tree as the Irken, now disguised as a red haired girl, struggled to her feet to stare at Dib with her teeth bared.

"I can't do this!" Dib cried out, turning to run. Kira, moving like a zombie, stood at her full height, four mechanical legs appearing out of her PAK. She hissed demonically and chased after Dib. Gir looked up to see Kira and instinctively fired a few shots upon her. When she was hit, Kira twitched in pain and glared at Gir. Now clueless, the robot ran and hid behind a gnome. However, Kira ignored Dib completely and started moving towards Zim's base. Sera reappeared by her side as a raven. "NO!" Dib cried out angrily, firing his water gun at Sera and Kira before they could reach the door. Sera immediately short-circuited, causing the disguises to flicker and die. Kira released an Earth-shattering scream as the water burned into her skin. For a moment, Kira recognized what was happening and started to drag Sera back towards her own base, completely ignoring Dib. However, as the smoke began to thin off her skin, Kira found it more difficult to resist. Kira snatched Sera's blaster and fired at an unexpecting Dib. The human cried out before falling to the ground, unable to move. Kira shook her head to try and regain her composer as she struggled towards her own base. It was 3:30 am and an hour and a half before sunrise. Gir looked up from his gnome as Zim's door began to open again. The sound caused Kira to stop walking and to look at the source of the noise. Zim stood in his doorway, the contacts and wig gone. Both he and Kira were exposed at this point. Luckily, it was too late for anyone to be awake. Sera's mechanical limbs started to twitch as the electrical flow started again. The two Irkens stared at each other while Dib laid in between them, unable to move. The two Irkens looked from each other, to Dib, and then back again.

"_They're confused! They can't tell who's the real Irken!"_ Dib thought. _"And I can't move…damn, I'm doomed…"_

Zim started for Dib, as he was closer then Kira. Suddenly, the female Irken sprang forward, narrowly avoiding Gir's random fire and punched Zim away from Dib. She quickly grabbed Dib's arm and started to drag him away. Dib struggled to move until Zim tackled Kira and kicked her hard in the gut. They were both screaming senselessly while they squabbled in the middle of the street. Dib watched with awe and horror.

"_Great, now they're fighting over me…"_ Dib grumbled to himself. _"I never thought I'd see the day where I REGRET attention…"_

Zim punched Kira into a building. She responded by using her PAK, the four long mechanical legs taking the shock of the impact. She used the spring from the punch to propel herself back at Zim, who responded by skidding sideways. He too made four legs appear out of his PAK. The two fought without mercy, ignoring the pain as the metal slashed deep into their green skin. Their eyes were glowing with a fire Dib had never seen before. It fascinated him, but at the same time, stuck fear in his heart. Kira had gained the upper hand when one of Zim's mechanical legs got stuck in a manhole cover. However, Zim fired a green laser into Kira's eye, causing her to shriek dreadfully and recoil in pain. It was then Dib noticed feeling in his arms again. He pushed himself off the ground, but his legs were still as limp as wet noodles. While Kira covered her eye and continued to cry loudly, Zim took his opportunity to run over and grab Dib. He stared at him, a seductive look in his red eyes.

"Oh jeez," Dib said, wiggling in Zim's grip. He ran towards his base at top speed, but was shot by Sera. When Zim dropped Dib, he immediately stood and ran, abandoning his weapon. It was too heavy to run with. When the two Irkens recovered, they both set off into the city after him. Kira leapt down an alleyway and left Zim to find his own way. The human took every detour he could to try and keep the two separated. However, he met up with both of them in the same alley every time. Dib checked his watch…it was almost five! The sun would soon be rising! He had to get them into the sunlight to snap them back into their senses. The two began advancing and Dib made a break for it. _"I have to make it!"_ Dib told himself as he sprinted for his life towards Zim's neighborhood. Kira and Zim were racing behind, quickly gaining on him. As he rounded the corner, Dib saw sunlight hitting the pavement. The two Irkens tackled him, missing his trench coat by inches. Dib ran as fast as his legs would allow, diving into the sunlight. However, before he could get them out of the shadows, Kira grabbed Dib's leg, forcing him to the ground. She sported several purple wounds and she was breathing heavily, but she still had the same seductive look in her eye as Zim had earlier. However, Zim came from behind and rammed Kira, making her drop Dib and causing her to skid across the pavement. Zim emerged from the shadows, panting, his skin oozing purple blood in several areas. Dib crawled back against a brick wall as the two Irkens looked up at the sky. They blinked several times and seemed to snap back into reality. Their mechanical legs disappeared and they both collapsed, their energy spent. Sera sprang beside Kira and grabbed her before using her jet propulsion to fly them back to their base. Dib ran over to Zim with Gir. Dib picked up Zim's limp form and stared at the alien's closed eyes. _"Zim told me not to come…and I didn't listen…what have I done?"

* * *

_

Ha ha! You thought I was going to let them go through with that, didn't you! WELL YOU WERE WRONG! I LAUGH AT-

Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure what I was going to write, so it was a surprise to me as well. Go figure! 3 I kinda feel like I rushed this chapter…so sorry if it seems that way.


	8. In a world of pain

Reviews…I love them good…

Elen: I live for sad endings. Smacked No, I'm kidding. I tend to be all around with endings…and for me, killing Zim off would most likely send me into a state of depression.

DLBN: Hehe, you're most welcome. :D

OMGCINNAMONZOOM! Here's your next chappie. XB

* * *

Dib carried Zim back to his base with Gir and placed him on the couch while Gir shut the curtains. Dib told Gir to go find medical supplies assuming the robot would find them. It took Gir an hour to realize that his PAK would take care of the healing process. While Gir went to retrieve the computer's plug, Dib went to wipe away the purple blood on Zim's arm. However, as soon as his finger came in contact with the foreign substance, Dib felt a burning sensation in the tip of his finger. He had to stifle a scream of pain. 

_"Christ Almighty, that hurt!"_ Dib said, closing his eyes as he blinked back tears. _"I wonder if he or Kira knows that Irken blood is as lethal to humans as water is to them…speaking of the devil, I wonder what she's doing now? Zim wasn't kidding about the whole female thing…"_ Dib stroked his chin as Gir entered the room with a long coil-like cord, which was tipped with a sharp spike. As soon as it got close to Zim's PAK, a slot opened and the cord snaked its way inside. Zim remained motionless, so Dib left him on the couch with Gir. Without saying anything to Gir, Dib went over to look out the curtain at Kira's base. It was as quiet as it had ever been and no smoke was coming from the chimney like usual. As the night drew closer, he saw Sera come out again, blaster in hand. _"What? But the comet came…"_

"Oh, COME ON!" he cried aloud, jerking the alien to consciousness. Zim howled in anger, annoyance, and pain.

"Great IRK, DIB!" Zim cried out, whimpering slightly. "What…are you doing here?"

"You were injured…brought you home…comet…" Dib jabbered, backing towards the door. Zim bit his lip.

"Did anything happen?" Zim demanded, wincing in slight pain. Dib shook his head wordlessly. "How long have I been our?"

"A few hours…" Dib remarked, groping for the doorknob.

"Ok…" Zim remarked, rubbing his head. "Ugh…why am I still sick? It should be over by now…" Dib couldn't open the door.

"Comets pass more then one night on Earth, I just realized that," Dib remarked, still struggling with the doorknob. Zim's antennae fell back in apprehension and he turned a sickly green…a paler green than usual.

"FILTHY PLANET!" Zim cried out. "How long must I endure this? And what about Kira? I'm as good as done for…" He stared at Dib. "You need to leave…now. And this time, don't worry about me…my wounds may keep me from going anywhere…and Kira as well." Zim knew this was a downright lie, but he couldn't risk Dib getting caught again.

"The key word is 'may'," Dib remarked, still ready to bolt. "Look, I kept your attention and Kira's on me…I was able to outrun both of you and I can do it again. Zim, I'm not letting you fall victim to Kira. She's a monster by nature, and she only got worse last night."

"Thank you for your concern, Dib, but I don't want you apart of this, and you can imagine why…" Zim remarked, sitting up on the couch. The coil in his back moved with him. His wounds were already beginning to heal. "Kira has nothing but her wounds to contain her now. Sera won't attack and Gir is a bad shot…if you say we both chased you last night, then we'll probably be looking for you again…so you need to hide, somewhere good…that way, we'll be tracking you all night…"

"Zim, that's the worst plan I've ever heard…" Dib remarked, shaking his head. Zim bared his teeth in anger. "Well, it is! Kira's going to go straight for you if you're standing right next to her! And you'll do the same!"

"I don't CARE Dib!" Zim finally burst. Dib froze and his eyes shrank behind his glasses. "Listen to me carefully…if there's a way to prevent anything from happening, it's this…I assume one more night of this chasing business will tire out both me and Kira for at least the rest of the week…I'd be surprised if Kira will run with the same vigor as she did last night."

"You don't…care?" Dib asked suddenly, his eyes still shrunken. "Zim, have you lost your mind? You WANT this to happen?" Zim grumbled and motioned Dib over. When he beckoned him to lower his head, Zim gave him a hard slap. "JESUS CHRIST!" He recoiled and rubbed the red mark on his face, the result from the force of Zim's rubber induced slap.

"Focus, Dib!" Zim cried, pointing his finger in Dib's face. "This isn't about 'want' or 'care'. I don't want this to happen, but if it must, it CANNOT be with Kira! Unless of course you want Irken smeetlings running around your planet being trained and brainwashed by Kira!"

"Alright, I get it!" Dib remarked, cringing. "Just please, stop talking about it!" Zim smirked at the sight of Dib showing weakness.

"Very well…" Zim remarked, sounding more forlorn. "It would create numerous problems for both Kira and I as well…since I'm an…exiled Irken…the children would most likely be killed…and Kira would no longer be a Tallest Candidate."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Dib asked. Zim gasped and bared his teeth at Dib again. "Not that the children would die, that Kira wouldn't be one of your leaders!"

"I suppose, but I don't want any of my kind killed if I can help it…" Zim remarked. Dib shook his head, trying to make sense of the events.

"Zim, with all due respect…I'd like to keep my virginity until I'm at least eighteen…" Dib remarked with a sickened look.

"How old ARE you?" Zim asked suddenly, astounded at Dib's statement.

"Fifteen years old…why?" Dib asked, having a bad idea where this conversation was going.

"Because I'm eighty years old," Zim remarked lowly.

"EIGHTY!" Dib cried out in repulsion. Zim quickly cut in.

"I'm sure an Irken year is different then an Earth year…" Zim remarked, biting his lip. Dib was stopping himself from throwing up at the thought.

"It damn well better be…" Dib remarked.

"Dib, I happen to know that eighty years is very old for Earthlings…do I honestly look like I'm eighty Earth years old?" It was with relief that Dib shook his head.

"No, you don't…" Dib remarked, looking out the window. "It's getting dark…I should go." Zim nodded.

"Just do as I said, and it should work out…but Kira will tire more quickly then I will…simply because she's using more energy…" Zim told Dib. "Just run for as long as you can…but if Kira's still running, you need to hide."

"Fine…but I want you to understand that this is the last night I'm doing this…Halley's comet passes for five days, and I refuse to keep this up…" Dib remarked, making a sweeping motion in the air. Zim waved it away.

"Fine, fine, I understand your reasoning…" Zim remarked, with a slight sigh. "Just go before the clouds move…the door should be unlocked now…" Zim's cuts were gone and only slight scarring remained. Dib left without hesitation, shaking in slight anxiety. He was not looking forward to being chased again. Sera watched Dib exit the house with a glare. The human positioned himself so he was the first thing Kira would see should she exit the house. He was completely ignoring Zim's command of hiding.

The night passed on without much activity. Sera twitched every now and then, but Gir never came outside. "_Maybe Zim was right after all…"_ Dib told himself. The comet was barely visible, as it was a cloudy night. Just then, a sound echoed through the streets and the SIR unit across from Dib shot into the darkness. It missed Dib by inches, but two green blurs flashed in front of him. Dib felt one of them press against him and instinctively, he smacked it away. But the damage was done as the human felt a painful electric shock rack his bony frame, causing him to shriek like a banshee in the dead of night. He caught sight of a device with the Irken symbol on it on his side and Dib fell to his knees. The last thing he saw was Kira holding Zim up by the collar before he blacked out.

* * *

Dib woke up in a state of confusion, lying in his own bed. Immediately, he felt a sharp pain in his lower stomach and in his back, causing him to cringe and immediately fall back on his bed. _"Was...it a dream? Did yesterday really happen?"_ Dib asked himself. He scratched his back and felt something. It was the same device that he saw last night. _"Of course it did…what happened? How did I get here?" _Dib tried to sit up, but found it nearly impossible as the pain was so intense. He glanced at his computer and then to the Irken device. He didn't know whether it was Kira or Zim that placed it on him, so he wasn't about to let it stay on. He grabbed the device and yanked it off, causing him to wail in pain. The device had fused itself with his skin and now left a gaping cut on his side. He fumbled for a piece of cloth and placed it over his wound, wincing as it began to soak up the blood. 

"Are you in pain?" Gaz's voice drawled from the doorway, causing Dib to jump. "That looked like it hurt…can I help?"

"Well, you could get me a really big band-aid…" Dib remarked, wincing again.

"I meant causing you more pain…like you've been doing to me since you were born," Gaz's frustrated voice barked, causing Dib to roll his eyes. "But dad told me to help you, so I guess I'll find one…"

"How did I get here?" Dib asked his sister. She raised her eyebrow.

"You don't remember anything?" Gaz asked with a grin. Dib shook his head. "Well, you kinda just appeared at the front door…by the time we answered it, you had passed out…dad thinks you were beat up by a street gang…were you?"

"Yeah, I remember now…" Dib lied to the best of his ability. He had to stop himself from shaking. He knew now what had happened, and why he was in so much pain. It was clear Gaz didn't believe him, but she didn't care much. With a growl, she walked out of the room to go get Dib's band-aid. While Gaz was out of the room, Dib replayed last night's events through his head. _"Ok…I went outside…stood in front of Kira's house…Zim and Kira snuck up on me…one of them paced that device on me and I got that horrible shock…and then nothing…either I was out for a long time, or my memory was erased…" _He looked at the blood on his hand before Gaz came in with the band-aid. Dib looked relieved.

"I'll put it on…if you twist you'll end up hurting yourself even more…and I refuse to cater to you…" Gaz remarked, peeling off the wrapping. Dib simply nodded and removed the cloth for the band-aid. Gaz slapped it on rather hard, causing him to wail in pain again. "Sorry, did I put that on too hard?" Gaz asked with mock concern. Dib didn't respond, so Gaz quickly left the room. Once Gaz had left, Dib stood up, resisting the urge to cry out again, and walked to his computer. He brought up the images from both Zim and Kira's bases. Zim was dead asleep, gashes strewn all over his small body. Kira had a lot of small scratches, but nothing as bad as Zim, and she was laying in the corner of the room on a pile of things, twitching in her restless sleep. Everything seemed normal…but in the back of Dib's mind, he knew something was terribly, terribly wrong.

_"I hate space…"_ Dib told himself.

* * *

HAR! I leave you with a CLIFFY! Please don't hurt me…that chapter may have been a bit confusing, but it all works out, trust me. Your reviews will decide what happens next! 


	9. Return of the Outcast

Fallen Angel: OO Down girl…see the cupcake? Go get it! Tosses it somewhere

Elen: THAT part was hard to do…and you're going to have to deal with another cliffy. xD

* * *

"The Tallest are going to slaughter me!"

"I'm sure they'll understand…"

"How can you even SAY that, Sera? A banished Irken maybe…but a banished Irken AND a human?"

"The human's DNA won't make it…your system isn't designed for that…"

"I figured that out when my insides started melting …"

Sera had walked out after that statement. I didn't mean to be so hard on her, but sometimes she states the most obvious things! It certainly wasn't what I needed right then…

It wasn't even that that angered me…it was when she said the Tallest would understand…like hell they would! I have no doubt that when word reaches them about the comet, I'm stripped of my powers and banished like that lowlife, Zim. Not only will I be banished, I'll need to endure this cursed cycle…and Irk knows what the stupid human's DNA did to me inside!

But…what if the Tallest don't find out? Who's to say I have to say anything?

No no, that wouldn't do…they'd find out eventually…I can't exactly stuff the smeet into my PAK. And I may be ruthless, but I refuse to kill my own smeetling.

"ARGH! This cursed rock of filth…if I knew this was going to happen, I would've prepared more!" I punched a wall, nearly splitting my knuckles. It was about that moment that Sera returned, looking rather smug.

"The computer says there's a possibility that the human's DNA killed Zim's…" she said in a testy tone. I had to admit that Sera had the most attitude in a SIR unit that I had ever seen. Sera noticed that I had relaxed a bit. "However, we don't have any technology with us that would allow us to check…"

"I'd expect not…after all, I hadn't seen THIS coming…" As I shook my head, Sera hesitantly declared the next piece of information.

"However…there is and Irken in this galaxy with the necessary technology…" Sera remarked.

"And I suppose it's Zim, then?"

"No…it's Invader Tak," Sera remarked, blinking her large red eyes. My eyes must've lit up at that moment, because Sera's mechanical limbs relaxed.

"Get her ship's frequency…" If anyone could help me, it would be her. However, after I asked for the frequency, Sera seemed to shrink again.

"The ship is in custody of the human…" Sera remarked. "We're not sure of her coordinates, so we can't trace her frequency until we know…" Sera looked at me oddly when I started laughing.

"Well, my dear, that's why you're here, isn't it?" Sera's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"I'm not designed for space travel!" she protested. When I snapped my fingers, an attachment appeared in front of Sera.

"Extra fuel for your rocket boosters and thicker armor so you don't burn up in the atmosphere…I've got you taken care of…" Sera glared abit, but slipped the armor on wordlessly. Without bothering with the hologram, she blasted through the roof with the force of a wine cork. I had other matters to attend to while Sera delivered her message. With or without Tak…this obstacle would be taken care of and this rock would be nothing more then a smoldering ash…

* * *

To be honest…I still wonder why mistress was relying on me to find Tak. There was no guarantee that she was still here…you could never tell in space.

Still, I'm glad she decided to give me a chance. She never believed in me very much…Kira always liked to rely on herself, which I respect her for…she wouldn't have gotten this far if she didn't.

…but I helped too.

However, what's past is past and what's present is present…if I'm ever to be more recognized by my Mistress, I cannot fail…

This was about the time I spotted a ship in the distance…from this far away, it was impossible to tell if it was of Irken make…I tried out the new rocket boosters Kira provided me with…they worked like a charm. I was shooting towards the ship as fast as any space cruiser. As I got closer, I could tell that it was indeed of Irken make…and it was about to blast into hyperspace. I wish I hadn't, but I panicked and fired a laser directly at the hyper fuel case. I watched as the precious blue fuel leaked out and the ship rounded on me, firing defensively. I had to use every defensive move I was programmed with and several that Kira had taught me. Once I was in range, I made contact with the ship.

"This is SIR unit 22686113 and you are flying in the territory of Irken Invader Kira," I said this only because it was an Irken custom. The firing stopped immediately.

"Invader Kira?" the voice questioned. There was no doubt that it was indeed Tak's voice. I felt something making the connection stronger…I had never met Tak, but I assumed that it was her SIR making the connection. "Mimi is supporting the connection, 22686133…this is Invader Tak speaking, and I have no intention of interrupting her mission."

"Invader Tak, my Mistress requests a meeting with you on planet Earth concerning a certain technology you're carrying…"

"Technology? What technology could she possibly want that she doesn't have?" Tak asked, mainly to herself.

"I cannot disclose that information in open space…follow me into the atmosphere, and I shall guide you to my mistress, Kira…" I turned and immediately headed for Earth. To my relief, Tak followed…of course, with her hyper drive disabled, she didn't have much choice.

* * *

I had to go see him…I couldn't help thinking about his well-being. From what I saw before I blacked out, Kira was about to thrash Zim. My presence did nothing to stop it…I see that now. However, before I could leave, my sister stopped me…

"Dib, dad doesn't want you going out…" Gaz said to me in her ghastly tones. I always wondered how she got so nasty…I always figured it was just inbred…but I never considered myself nasty.

Now that I look back…I see that I may have been…just a little…

"Gaz, can't you cover for me for once?" Gaz seemed to actually think this one over.

"Weeeelll…you haven't done anything recently to piss me off…and I'm mad at dad for taking the last piece of pizza to feed to that secret project he's working on…" Gaz remarked, her eye twitching slightly. "Fine Dib…but don't get used to it." My sister surprised me that day, but my fear of her kept me from hugging her to death. I simply thanked her and sprinted out the door. I watched a raven take off from a tree. I immediately jumped in surprise, thinking it was Kira's robot, but its eyes weren't the eerie red color.

I was safe…for the moment.

I put my attention back on the road in front of me. Zim's house was a few blocks away…and there was only one way to get there and avoid Kira's radar. So, I took that route and came up on the opposite end of Kira's house before remembering her agreement with Zim. I remembered that I had a radar jammer in my backpack…

…I'm not crazy; it's always good to take precautions.

Anyway, I stuck the jammer to my backpack so it would block her radio frequency. With what happened the night before, I doubt she was concerned about Zim or me…

I didn't even bother to knock…Zim wouldn't come to the door. I pushed it open…but something was wrong…I wasn't greeted by the robo parents like I usually was. I edged my way inside. The house was a wreck…it was dark and random objects were strewn over the house. Gir had nailed some waffles to the wall but, surprisingly, he was nowhere in sight.

"Zim?" I heard something move in the corner. "Gir, is that you?"

"You are an intruder!" a robotic voice called. I dove out of the way just in time as a stunning laser headed in my direction. The voice did not belong to Gir. I kept crawling backwards until the robot came into full view.

It was Mimi, followed closely by Tak, neither of which was disguised. Tak was smirking with a vengence.

"Hello Dib…remember me?"

* * *

Cliffy again! Sorry. XD I was going to do Zim's POV, but I couldn't think of what he would say in this situation…

What's going to happen? You'll just have to wait and see!


End file.
